7/14/2012New president of OBRA meets with local GOPBy ROSE COOPER - rcooper@wnewsj.comThe new president of the Ohio Black Republicans Association, Brenda Mack, was in Wilmington on Friday to get ideas on how to reach out to minorities in the community and to involve them in the Ohio Republican Party.

Mack was elected president of the association in May and took office in July. The group was organized in 2005. “My goal is to meet with every Republican Party chair in all 88 counties in Ohio and spread the news of the organization,” she said.

Meeting with Mack at Damon’s on Friday were Clinton County Republican Party Chairman Geoffery Phillips, Clinton County Commissioner Pat Haley, Butch Peelle, Bruce McKee, former candidate for U.S. Senate Eric LaMont Gregory, and former Congressman Bob McEwen, his wife Liz and their daughters.

The organization, which is based in Columbus, was put in place by the Ohio Republican Party and the National Republican Committee, Mack said.

“They knew there was a need for an organization such as this to reach out to the minority community and to engage and involve them in the Republican Party,” Mack said. “We are fully engaged in the Republican Party and we want people to know that.”

One of the issues Mack and Gregory talked about was the proposed changes in a construction bill, which, they agreed, would put many small business owners and minorities out of business. “That bill, if it is passed, could put a lot of small minorities out of business,” Mack said. “They can’t stay in the game. It is not an equal playing field. I’m very passionate about that because I’m a small business owner myself. People are literally cheated out of jobs. They can’t compete. If you can’t grow, you can’t compete.”

Mack said the Black Republicans Association has a construction reform committee and that is one of the issues the committee is working on. “It’s a big issue and that’s something we’re fighting.”

Voter education and job fairs are in the planning stages of the organization, Mack said. She said she hopes to have job fairs in all major cities in Ohio and in areas at halfway points between the cities.